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“I don’t think so. Grown ups are complicated. Sometimes it takes more than just liking someone.”
“Like what?”
“Well, people have responsibilities. Duty.”
“Duty?” she giggles. “Daddy says if Mr. Johnson doesn’t stop lettin’ Duke do his duty all over our side yard, he’s fixin’ to start a ruckus.”
“Duke is a dog, right?”
“Yup.”
I grin. “That’s not the kind of duty I was talking about.”
Meemee shrugs, her little mind already moved on from the topic.
I glance around, wondering where the heck everybody is. I’m waiting for Caroline or Jesse to show so I can hand the kids off and leave before I lose my nerve.
I sigh and go to pour myself an icee. If I’m going to be here a while longer, I might as well enjoy my last hoorah in Frosty Harbor. An icee with a view and some pint-sized company doesn’t sound so bad.
41
JESSE
As far as last-minute, half-baked plans go, I rate mine a solid seven out of ten.
Mikey shoots me a text a few minutes after we talk and lets me know the diversion tactic has been initiated. Unfortunately, those are his exact words. For a rural mechanic type, the guy has weird taste in movies and occasionally gets dorky on me.
I text him back a quick thanks, then knock on the door to Andi’s parents’ room.
Her dad answers. His eyes narrow when he sees it’s me at the door. “Jesse?”
“Yeah, mind if I come in for a minute?”
Jesse’s mom is deeper in the room with her suitcase laid out on the bed. It looks like she’s almost done packing.
“I was hoping to ask you two for a favor.”
Her dad tilts his head, letting me know I can come in.
“What kind of favor?” he asks.
Andi’s mom has stopped what she’s doing with a blouse in her hands, mid-fold. “Is Andi okay?”
“Everything is fine,” I say. “I was just hoping I could beg you two not to drive Andi back to New York tonight. Make some kind of excuse. Tell her you’re having car trouble. Whatever it is, just get her to stay through tonight.”
“Why would we do that?” her dad asks.
Andi’s mom slaps him with the blouse. “Don’t you see it? He’s in love with her.”
I grin. “Let’s not go crazy, now. I just–”
“Huh?” her dad says.
“He wants her here for the Frostival. She wants to leave because she’s trying not to get too sucked into this adorable little town and the life she can see for herself here. She knows it’s going to hurt too much to lose if she goes any deeper. That’s why she asked us to drive her back home tonight.”
“I thought she wanted that job,” her dad says.
Andi’s mom gives me a sorry, he’s hopeless kind of look. “I’ll agree to this,” she says, “But you have to spill the beans. Tell me everything. I want to know the whole plan.”
